DSWD chief Taguiwalo calls for a more people-oriented, people-centered ASEAN
September 1, 2016 | 9:10am
MANILA, Philippines (Philippines News Agency) — Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo on Wednesday spoke at the 16th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Taguiwalo delivered the Philippine statement and shared the Philippine government’s views and stands on the actions and programs of the ASCC.
She said that the Philippine government welcomed its upcoming chairpersonship of the ASCC, especially at the helm of the new administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. She added that the Philippines had a number of priorities that it hoped to carry out next year.
Taguiwalo said the country wants to intensify efforts towards a people-oriented, people-centered ASEAN by doing the following:
- Ensure recognition, promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers
- Ensure recognition, promotion and protection of the rights of the vulnerable sectors — women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, internally displaced persons, indigenous peoples, among others
- Further promote appreciation of cultural heritage and strengthening the ASEAN cultural identity
- Intensify access to health care and improved nutrition
- Promote the role of the civil service as catalyst for achieving ASEAN Vision 2025
Also, to strengthen ASEAN’s resilience, in consideration of the intensity of natural and human-induced disasters that the region is experiencing now, Taguiwalo said that the Philippines would exercise efforts to further ensure environmental protection; carry out climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and mitigation (DRRM)-related activities; and intensify protection of our biodiversity thru the programs, projects and activities of our ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).
“We eagerly look forward to the Philippine’s hosting of ASEAN in 2017, especially that it coincides with the 50th or golden anniversary of ASEAN,” she said.
Child rights, decent work
Meanwhile, in the area of children’s rights, Taguiwalo said that the Philippine government supported the ASEAN Children’s Forum as one of the key mechanisms that drive children’s participation in ASEAN.
“We appreciate the children’s active participation in the 4th ASEAN Children’s Forum held last June in Hanoi, Viet Nam and we anticipate that the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (AMMSWD) will ensure that the children’s recommendations will be endorsed to and acted upon by concerned sectoral bodies,” she said.
She also welcomed the decision of the ASEAN Labor Ministers to conclude an ASEAN instrument on the promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers in April 2017.
“We hope that more dialogue with stakeholders will take place in the future, especially at the national level, to ensure their participation in the crafting and implementation of declarations and instruments. After all, meaningful and effective participation of stakeholders is and should be integral in building a people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN,” she said.
In the meantime, Taguiwalo expressed the Philippines’ support for other efforts of the ASCC such as the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in the ASEAN.
“We envision that the Declaration will contribute to the attainment of decent work for all. Decent work in its essence, as defined by the International Labor Organization (ILO), involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men,” she said.
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